Eric Schmidt Argues US Army Should Prioritize Drones Over Tanks
Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO and founder of defense startup White Stork, has made a bold suggestion for the U.S. Army: get rid of tanks and focus on AI-powered drones. At the Future Investment Initiative conference in Saudi Arabia, Schmidt described the thousands of tanks in U.S. storage as “useless” and pushed for a shift toward drone technology.
Schmidt’s advocacy for drones is based on the effectiveness seen in recent conflicts like Ukraine, where inexpensive drones have successfully targeted multi-million dollar tanks. Schmidt’s company, White Stork, specializes in AI drones that could operate without human oversight and withstand GPS jamming.
Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt says the future of war is electronic warfare and automated drones powered by artificial intelligence fighting other drones, where it is too lethal for humans to enter the front line, "if you look up and you see a drone, within 2-3 minutes you're dead" pic.twitter.com/pmrLxjMAHX
— Tsarathustra (@tsarnick) October 15, 2024
With costs for autonomous technology decreasing, Schmidt believes drones may soon replace tanks, mortars, and artillery on the battlefield. Reports indicate Russia has lost as many as 3,000 tanks in Ukraine, fueling debate about the future of traditional armored vehicles. Nevertheless, both Russia and Ukraine continue to rely heavily on tanks, with Ukraine requesting more Western tank support.
Russian drones costing less than a thousand dollars crush two German Leopard 2A6 tanks, one of which costs 8.5 million dollars! pic.twitter.com/xQI3RxPSbi
— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterFamily) October 24, 2023
Modern tanks feature protective technologies like the Trophy active protection system, which intercepts incoming threats. Analysts suggest that a complete switch to drones is unlikely and that the U.S. Army will likely balance both drones and tanks to ensure a flexible and effective military approach.